MPA Network - 2018 Report to Scottish Parliament

21 December 2018

JNCC are delighted to have partnered with
Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and others to input into the
Marine Protected Area (MPA) progress report - recording the
progress towards Scotland’s commitment to its ecologically coherent
MPA network.

Today SNH presents the last six years’
progress on developing Scotland’s MPA network in a report to the
Scottish Government. We have made some great achievements over this
time to work towards the conservation of important features of
Scotland’s seas. This has included the designation of 41 new MPAs
and the extension of two sites, affording protection to a wider
range of Scotland’s important cultural and historical artefacts,
marine habitats, species, geology and landforms within the MPA
network.

Looking to the future, any additions to the
network will need to be considered alongside continuing to develop
and implement effective management to ensure the network is
achieving its objectives to conserve the protected features and
associated services they provide to society. Working closely with
stakeholders and partners has been instrumental to the work covered
within the report and will continue to influence the future
development of the MPA network.